It's Happening One Way Or The Other! - Oct 2016 PTR - Updated 10/11 - Single Digit Dance

[IowaTater]

Hello, DIS World!! It's Pasta & Potatoes, back for another PTR. We aren't going until November of 2016 but it's never too early for a PTR, right??? If you missed my first PTR/TR, it's in my signature but if you're following me for the second time, thanks for thinking I'm interesting enough to read again!

Because this trip is so far away, I'll be throwing in some real life updates as well. Now, on to the introductions!



This is us, Pasta (DH) & Potatoes (moi). We're from just outside of St. Louis, MO and have been together for 11 years, married for almost 5. This is our second trip to WDW as a couple and to say we got bit by the Disney bug would be an understatement. We thought it would be a very long time before we got to go back but more on that story in a bit. Instead, more info on us.



DH aka Pasta (he's half Italian) is a 39 year old retail sales clerk. He is a self-proclaimed nerd and fountain of useless knowledge. He's a huge fan of Marvel, Doctor Who, and Transformers and can tell you what movie is playing before the opening credits even start. Before our anniversary trip in 2013, he had been to WDW a couple of times as a kid. He enjoys Disney a lot but lets me plan the trips pretty much on my own. I'm not sure what all his favorites are but I'll tell you the ones I know for sure.

FAVORITES

Favorite restaurant: Sci-Fi Dine-In
Favorite ride: Star Tours
Favorite park: Hollywood Studios
Favorite movie: The Incredibles (maybe)
Favorite character: Baymax (for right now)

​

Me aka Taters (I'm half Irish). I am 37 years old and I work as an administrative assistant for a manufacturing company and also run a craft business on the side. Before our anniversary trip, I had only been one other time and that was back in 1995 for my senior class trip. I am an uber-planner and have been known to be a "vacation Nazi". In spite of that, DH has told myself and several other people that I did an "awesome" job planning our last WDW trip. *pat on the back*

FAVORITES

Favorite restaurant: Liberty Tree Tavern
Favorite ride: Tower of Terror
Favorite park: Hollywood Studios
Favorite movie: Lilo & Stitch
Favorite character: Stitch
​

So how did this trip come to be? Well, like I said, we got bit by the Disney bug HARD. Almost immediately after leaving Disney property, we were talking about going back. I told DH that it was happening one way or the other (hence the PTR title). Unfortunately, finances being what they are, we figured it would a long time before we could save up enough money to go. About a month after we got back, our best friends (V and Milo) got engaged (yay!!!) and said that they were planning a honeymoon to WDW & USO so they asked me for help planning it. Fast forward 7 months (and just 5 months before the wedding) and they announce that they are expecting their first bundle of joy (double yay!!!). That meant no Disneymoon (booo!).

Right after they got married, we were sitting around talking about WDW and developed a plan that we would all go together. The next day, while cruising different planning sites, I stumbled across the Disney Vacation Plan site. This was perfect for us! No more "We'll start saving next week" or anything like that. Plus we can get Disney Gift Cards just for using it?? Bonus!

So last week (yes, we still put it off for 3 months), I set up the account and our first payment went into it today. I may have under-budgeted the trip just a smidge but it's happening one way or the other!! Even if I have to take on extra crafting jobs or selling a bunch of possessions or whatever. V and Milo still say they're coming with us and they have since invited Milo's sister and BIL along but I ill save their official introductions until I know 100% that they are coming.

That's all for now. We are supposed to be getting together soon to go over details (although, who are we kidding?? I already have a binder started). I will probably have another update next week.

 

[IowaTater]

Saved for Table of Contents

 

[IowaTater]

Sorry it's been so long since the last posting. Things in our lives have been pretty hectic. One good thing is that we now have 2 (soon to be 3) payments into the Disney Vacation Plan and we got together with our friends to discuss our trip. With 90% certainty, I can say we are going Nov. 2-9, 2016 and will be staying at All Star Movies. This may change based on free dining. I've also started compiling lists of places we want to eat at, attractions we want to do, characters we want to meet. I'll share those at a later time.

On a Disney note, we had a movie night with a group of our friends last weekend. We've been trying to do them every other month and each one has a theme. This month, it was Disney night. We watched Lilo & Stitch and The Lion King. The food was themed off the movies as were our decorations. It was a huge hit! Unfortunately, I forgot to take pictures of the decorations but here are some pictures of the buffet.

The menu:


The "cub" sandwiches:



Cookie tray & pasta salad:



Grub tray, meatballs, zebra cakes:



Ocean water:



Close up of the cookie tray (I even decorated some to look like flip flops):



What kinds of things do you all do to bring a bit of Disney to your everyday lives?

 

[lilpixiebabe101]

Joining in! We may be going in that same time frame! Sometime between end of September and beginning of Novmeber 2016. Will depend on school breaks and the RunDisney races for next fall!

Can't do too much "Disney" with DF. He's never been and "doesn't get it" yet, so I can't scare him before we get there!!

 

[Denovagirl]

Ok, joining in, followed you from Mo's PTR when I saw another fellow 2016 PTR!! You'll be after us, we'll be doing Sept.

Yes, you're right! Never too early to plan!!

I'm gonna go check out your old TR now, tata!!

 

[IowaTater]

Oh my gosh! So many updates are needed. I'm going to start on them right now!

 

[IowaTater]

I'll start with the real life updates since those are the happy ones.

St. Louis ComiCon

During the weekend of May 22-24, DH and I attended the Wizard World St. Louis ComiCon. This was the 3rd year DH had gone and my 2nd year. Unfortunately, it was not as good as the previous years. There were not as many stars or vendors attending which caused the panels to be less entertaining as well. I don't know if it was because of all the riots here or because it was a holiday weekend or it could have also been a combination of the two. Some of the panels we attended were:

Robin Lord Taylor (Penguin from Gotham)
Christian Kane (Angel, Leverage)
Joey Lawrence (I attended this one by myself)
Hayley Atwell (Agent Carter)
Jason Mewes & Michael Rooker (Mallrats)

Some photos. We were kind of far away so they aren't the best

Christian Kane


Robin Lord Taylor


We also attended the cosplay contest they had. There were so many amazing creations! Instead of posting them all, you should be able to scroll through my album by clicking on one of the pictures above.

 

[IowaTater]

Mini Vacations

We've also taken a couple of mini vacations this summer. My SIL, MIL, and I went to Branson for an extended weekend for a girls-only trip. We hit up the outlet malls, had some fabulous meals, and spent one day at Silver Dollar City during their World Fest celebration (or as I called it, mini-EPCOT). We got to see African dancers, Chinese acrobats, and Irish dancers.





I also had the pleasure of getting to see my beloved St. Louis Blues make it to the Stanley Cup Playoffs (and in turn flush it down the toilet like every year). One of my close friends has season tickets so she took me to one of the home games. For me, watching hockey live is so much better than watching it on TV so I had fun whether we won or lost.



We also made 3 trips back to my hometown this summer. The first one was to attend the annual Slocum 50 race. It's a memorial race for one my classmates who past away. He was a driver out at the local racetrack and was killed in an accident out there so every year, they hold the memorial race to raise money for a scholarship in his name. DH and I met up with my cousin and his family for some tailgating beforehand. The weather was beautiful, I got to see a lot of people I went to high school with, and a lot of money was raised for his scholarship. Below is the crowd giving the drivers the High 5 salute (he raced for High 5 Racing).



Our second trip back home was for Steamboat Days, 5 day festival with musical performances, a talent show, carnival rides, games, food, a parade, fireworks, and an art fair. Normally DH and I don't go back home for this but when I was home for Thanksgiving, I won VIP seats to one of the concerts We ended up having a blast that weekend. We got to spend time with lots of family and friends that we don't get to see that often. Oh, and I bet you're wondering who we got to see in concert, right? Well, you'll just have to wait until I post our concert update.

Our third and final trip home for this year was to attend my 20th class reunion. It was a weekend-long event including a tour of our high school, a baseball game, and a banquet to round everything out. It was a lot of fun, even though it still seemed that a few of those high school cliques were still going strong.

 

[IowaTater]

Summer Concerts

DH and I had the pleasure of attending 3 concerts this summer. The first was the concert that I won the VIP seats for...Sammy Hagar. This was the 2nd time we had seen him in concert and we had just as much fun this time as we did last time. As an added bonus, one of my best friends from back home texted me a couple of days before the concert to let me know his boss had given him VIP tickets to the concert as well! So we got to enjoy the concert with him and his husband and then went out for greasy diner food afterwards. Here's a picture for you.



Our second concert was just a week after we got back from Iowa. This concert was per DH's request, although I think I ended up having just as much fun as he did. We went to the Weird Al Yankovic concert at the Peabody Opera House. Our seats were way at the top of the venue so unfortunately don't have any good pictures but I will say it was an amazing concert. He had so many costume changes and he did songs from all his albums. This was the 2nd time I had seen him and it was just as good as the first.

Our 3rd concert was just last month. We went to see Chicago and Earth, Wind & Fire at our local ampitheatre. I was so looking forward to this concert and was lucky enough to get really cheap lawn seats for it. I have been wanting to see Chicago for a very long time and they did not disappoint! I would go again in a heartbeat.

 

[IowaTater]

Summer Round-Up

Our last big summer adventure was one that DH unfortunately couldn't attend because he couldn't get off work. The in-laws and I went to the Japanese Lantern Festival at the Missouri Botanical Gardens. It was the first time I had ever gone and I was so excited to practice my photography skills. If you ever get a chance to attend this festival, I highly recommend it. It's a bit expensive but it is absolutely magnificent. Just remember to wear good walking shoes and bring lots of water to drink. I won't bore you with all of the pictures I took so I'll just post a couple and you can feel free to peruse the album on my Photobucket.







Also this summer, DH and I both got promotions at our respective jobs, we became aunt & uncle for the 9th time, we hit up our local pool a couple of times, and celebrated my 38th birthday. So, as you can see, we have had a whirlwind summer in the Pasta & Potatoes household (which explains my lack of updates). Now on to trip related updates!!

 

[IowaTater]

Trip Planning Update

A lot of curve balls have been thrown at us concerning trip planning so even though we are still definitely going in the fall of 2016, everything else is up in the air. Here is a short list of what has caused us headaches:

1: Our best friends are no longer coming with us. They just recently bought a house and simply cannot afford a trip to WDW right now. On the bright side, we now have another excuse to go again in a couple of years.

2: MNSSHP vs. MVMCP - We are now having second thoughts about the Christmas party. We're just not sure we'd enjoy it as much as we enjoyed the Halloween party. It did cross our mind to schedule our trip so that we could hit the Halloween party AND see the Christmas decorations but that leads us to our 3rd headache....

3: DH's work schedule - now that he is an assistant manager, he is required to work during big sale weekends. Of course, one would just have to fall on Halloween weekend.

4: The demise of Osborne Family Spectacle of Lights - This one just happened today. I'm not sure if you all had heard but with all the changes happening at DHS, this will be the last year for the Spectacle of Lights. Those danged lights are one of the main reasons I wanted to go during the Christmas season.

5: Jersey Week - After researching crowd levels for the week we were planning on booking, I discovered that the majority of our trip falls during Jersey week. Now, DH and I were spoiled by the fairly low crowds on our last trip so do we really want to deal with a level 7 crowd??

So now we have to decide...should we keep the same dates we had planned and just deal with all the changes & crowds? Or push our trip to sooner in October? Decisions, decisions.

WWDD???? (What Would DISers Do?)

 

[IowaTater]

For those of you following along, you may have noticed a slight change in our PTR title. Because of Jersey Week and the changes at DHS, we have decided to bump our trip by two weeks and are now going the second to last week in October!

This also required us to increase our weekly deposit into our Disney Vacation Account but it wasn't a huge increase so it won't really affect us. This also means we will be for sure doing MNSSHP instead of MVMCP and I can now start to plan without feeling like a total weirdo.

 

[Elevationist]

I'm here, I'm here! Looks like you're right, we should be the around the same time! I'm there Oct. 22-28, currently at POR but hoping to upgrade to a deluxe once military promo rates come out!

What dates are ya'll planning? Thoughts on resort? Do you have enough saved yet to go ahead and lock something in and pay just the deposit? I always book ASAP, pay the deposit, and figure the rest out over time.

I use the DVA account to save for my trips, too! Keeping the money in my bank account makes it waaaaaay too easy for me to pull from it for dumb stuff. At least when I put the money into my DVA, it's out of sight, out of mind!

Come on man, we need details!

 

[IowaTater]

We are shooting for October 19-26. Right now, we're bouncing back & forth between Pop Century & All Star Movies. I've been trying to look at some historical rates and it looks like Pop might be cheaper for our week. We're hoping for free dining too but looking back at our dates in past years, it's been blacked out.

I have to admit. I'm in lurve with the Disney Vacation Account so far.




It's so easy and we're like you. If it's in our regular bank account, it's more than likely getting spent. This way it's a direct deposit every week (at least for us) and we get gift cards for using. We have enough for the package deposit and then some but we are debating using a TA again for this trip so we've haven't pulled the trigger yet. Our TA last trip wasn't a huge help so if we did use one, it would be someone different.

 

[Elevationist]

We are shooting for October 19-26. Right now, we're bouncing back & forth between Pop Century & All Star Movies. I've been trying to look at some historical rates and it looks like Pop might be cheaper for our week. We're hoping for free dining too but looking back at our dates in past years, it's been blacked out.

I have to admit. I'm in lurve with the Disney Vacation Account so far.

http://cdn.smosh.com/sites/default/...oads/0413/epic-hugs-friends-joey-chandler.gif

It's so easy and we're like you. If it's in our regular bank account, it's more than likely getting spent. This way it's a direct deposit every week (at least for us) and we get gift cards for using. We have enough for the package deposit and then some but we are debating using a TA again for this trip so we've haven't pulled the trigger yet. Our TA last trip wasn't a huge help so if we did use one, it would be someone different.

I'm a TA, and Disney-authorized vacation planner. ASMo actually carries a lower price-point than Pop, due to it's age mostly, but also I think because Disney knows that Pop is more desirable for the dedicated bus service. But when you compare it apples to apples (Ex: a Standard Room at Pop vs. a Standard Room at any All-Star), then Pop comes out slightly higher in price. Now all that being said, I do think it's worth the small increase if you plan on using the buses. The All-Star buses are shared between the three resorts, and often are super crowded.

And for obvious reasons, I support the use of a TA!

**EDITED TO ADD** Your ticker says 1-1-1 right now!

 

[IowaTater]

Is it pretty simple to still use your Disney Vacation Account with a TA? That's the main thing I'm worried about.

 

[Elevationist]

Is it pretty simple to still use your Disney Vacation Account with a TA? That's the main thing I'm worried about.

It should be simple. However, it really depends on how knowledgeable your TA is about Disney, and specifically about the DVA program. Basically, your TA should be able to apply your DVA account as a form of payment the same as she would if you handed her a Disney gift card to pay for your trip. Sometimes Disney's website is temperamental about accepting the DVA account number for payment, in which case your TA would just need to pick up the phone and call the travel agent desk and ask them to process the payment for her. If your TA struggles with any of this, she's not the right one for you.

 

[IowaTater]

Getting Fit for The Mouse

So part of my plan to get ready to do WDW next year is to get in better shape. Now, I did our last trip as a Pooh-sized gal and did so without too many issues (at least at WDW). However, I want to get healthier anyway so what better motivator than going to WDW. Also, I'm starting to have some hip problems and Lord knows....



So in preparation for our endless walking, DH and I have participated in two 5K races this year (and I may add another one in November). The first was a Root Beer Float 5K for a neighboring town's fun days, which was held on Sept. 13. DH and I walked it with our friends Cassie, V, and V's baby. Here are some pics from the finish line.





After you completed the race, you received a medal, breakfast, and all the root beer you could drink. They also had a foam pit for kids (big & little) to play in. Of course, I just couldn't resist so my friend Cassie joined me.





Then this past Saturday (Sept. 19th), DH and I participated in the Blacklight Run. Along the trail, they had stations where you would get dusted with neon powder which would then glow underneath the blacklights. Afterwards, they had a dance party but DH and I were too exhausted to partake. Here's some pics from it.







I'm also trying a different eating strategy (because D-I-E-T is a BAD WORD!!) and it basically sucks but I figure they all do in the beginning.

I don't really have anything new on the planning front, except I've gotten a couple of more ideas on things DH and I can do on our non-park day. Oh, and I've started restocking our Disney box and organizing our planning binder, which is kind of exciting as well.

Hopefully I've have more of a Disney update for you all (I'm not even sure how many people are actually reading this) when I return from camping this weekend.

 

[IowaTater]

Hey all! Hubby and I are back from our camping trip so I thought I would post a quick update while I'm waiting for the Cardinals double header to start. I do have a Disney update but first a real life update.

A couple of weekends ago was the annual Taste of St. Louis. They have it every fall and I like to call it mini-F&W. Hubby & I try to get together a small group so that we can all get different things & share them. This saves money & room in the bellies. This year, unfortunately, it was just myself, hubby, and our friend Cassie. As you may remember, DH is a picky eater. Luckily, Cassie is not so I was able to try some of the more adventurous things with her. We ate and ate and ate & after about 4 hours, we had tried everything our stomachs could handle. Being the good DISer I am, of course I have food porn for everyone!



First up was a new place for us. They specialize in gourmet tomato soups & grilled cheese sandwiches. I got the beer cheese soup (wonderful), Cassie got the Tom+Chee (grilled cheese with tomato, cheddar, mozzarella, and garlic seasoning), and DH got BBQ Bacon (grilled cheese sandwich with bacon, American cheese, and BBQ potato chips). Both the sandwiches were tasty as well. I wasn't too sure about chips on a sandwich but it was pretty good. Definitely a great way to start off our trek.



Next up was another new restaurant. I was the only one to get anything though & I got the spinach & artichoke slider. Pretty self explanatory. It was very creamy & cheesy but it was WAY garlicy. The sandwich was still pretty good but I definitely could not have eaten more than one. Thankfully, Cassie also helped me eat this.

We then headed over to one of our favorite booths. Steve's Hot Dogs.



Cassie and I shared the Waffle Dog (hot dog coated with waffle batter & served with syrup) while DH got a hot dog with ketchup & mustard.



Have I mentioned DH is a picky eater?? Anyway, he loved his hot dog, which was the most important thing. Cassie really liked the Waffle Dog while I thought it was just "Ehh". I think I might have liked it better if it had been a sausage link instead of a hot dog because it tasted a little bland to me.

On to another new restaurant where Cassie & I decided to partake in some Cajun cuisine.



I chose the crab cakes while Cassie got the blackened shrimp. I absolutely loved the crab cakes! For me, depending on where I have them, they can be hit or miss but these were just the way I liked them. Lots of crab, very little peppers & heat, and very creamy. Cassie liked her shrimp & while they were good, they were a little bit too overcooked for my liking. The small salad garnish that they both came with was perfect as well. It was some sort of spinach salad with a tomato vinaigrette.

Cassie & I decided to rest a bit and watch an Indian cooking demonstration. While we were sitting there, DH went and grabbed some BBQ from a booth close by (I apologize for the blurry picture).



BBQ Pork Steak sandwich. I can't remember which BBQ booth he got it from but he loved it. Cassie didn't have any and I only managed to snag one bite before it was gone. It was very tender and had a very mild BBQ sauce on it. I also love the fact that it wasn't drenched in the BBQ sauce (I have a really bad habit of wearing my food 99% of the time).

After learning how to make 2 kinds of chutney and a curry dish, we decided that it was time for some dessert at one of our favorite booths.



DH got plain cheesecake (sigh) while Cassie & I split the pumpkin cheesecake. I am obsessed with anything pumpkin or apple so this really hit the spot. They were both so creamy & not overly sweet. I could go for a piece right now.



I'm not sure which place Cassie got this from but I know it was a place new to the festival. DH & I didn't get anything but Cassie got this salmon sandwich. Now, I love salmon but I did not love this sandwich. The sauce made the bun really soggy (which is a big yucky texture thing for me) and the salmon itself was not all that flavorful. The only flavor it had mainly came from the jalapeno slices.

After the less that stellar sandwich, I decided that I needed more sugar. One of my favorite donut shops was there so of course I had to hit it up.



Apple Pie donut....drooool. It was so good. Apple pie filling in a super soft donut with caramel glaze & a cinnamon/brown sugar crumble on top. Cassie had 2 bites, DH had none (he won't eat any fruit), and I had the rest.

By this time, we had hit pretty much all the booths we wanted to. DH debated going back for another grilled cheese while I was pretty content with my semi-full belly. Cassie said she needed sushi so we hit up our final booth on the way back to the trolley.



California roll. It was your typical sushi from a place we try every year so we knew what we were getting. I had one piece of it while Cassie polished it off.

And so ended our mini-F&W. Not quite as exciting as the real F&W but it was still fun.

Next up: A Disney update!

 

[Elevationist]

A couple of weekends ago was the annual Taste of St. Louis. They have it every fall and I like to call it mini-F&W.

They do this in a couple of cities near me, but I've never gone! I don't know why! Now you got me googling dates and making local plans. YUM!

(I have a really bad habit of wearing my food 99% of the time).

Girl, you and me both.

I am obsessed with anything pumpkin or apple so this really hit the spot.

ME TOO! Especially pumpkin or apple desserts!!! That cheesecake looks heavenly!

Apple Pie donut....drooool. It was so good. Apple pie filling in a super soft donut with caramel glaze & a cinnamon/brown sugar crumble on top.

OH. MY. GOD. I could eat a dozen of those all by myself. That looks/sounds AMAZING.

And so ended our mini-F&W. Not quite as exciting as the real F&W but it was still fun.

Yay! Thanks for sharing! Hooray for food porn!